Yes, you do "seriously need" to be at a roster of 21. None of your defensemen are waivers exempt, and any one of them would get claimed if sent down. But, the NHL teams thank you for your ignorance and a free Timmins at 2x1.1 haha...

I read your description, my two cents would be:
The cap will go up next year but, you need to factor in Matthews and Nylander higher salaries and potentially Domi and Bertuzzi and I think Murray's buy-out would rise to the 2mil-ish range next season.
Also it would take a 2nd rounder like the Bailey trade 300K doesn't lower the pick by a round

I bet you Gio can get waived and just announce he'll retire if he gets claimed like Spezza did.

What is 800 + 265?

Then send Gio and Gambrell down instead lol... Even better, trade Timmins and a pick to for a near league min player at 50% retained

+775,000 from Gambrell

The Leafs organizational blueline depth is atrocious. The need to carry 7 D is just not real - it is necessary.

Sooner see a 20 man roster of 11 forwards and 7 D than waive Timmins or deal him, as there are a number of Marlies that could easily fit into this lineup in case of injury (Steeves, Abrusseze if signed, Gambrell, Robertson).

Simply terrible asset management amd team.management to carry just 6 D.

I lost ALL respect for Jason Spezza when that happened and am shocked the NHL didn't follow up with a new rule banning that kind of tampering.
If I were a GM of any Atlantic team I'd have claimed him. Rather not play again than play for my team? COOL. Byeeee.

Why? Who cares? He's a vet that wanted to be one place specifically.

We saw last year what happens when you put yourself at a disadvantage just because of the cap. Just trade someone

Leafs have no NHL capable Dmen in the AHL. Just nonsense to think a 20 man roster is reasonable, especially one with just six Dmen.

??? Gambrell is not on the roster of this armchair GM...

I, for some reason, forgot about that

I care. Announcing that if any team claimed him he'd just retire is such a "I'll take my net and go home if that was/wasn't a goal" move.
We all hated kids like that growing up, Spezza's move was just the adult version. Such poor sportsmanship. I'd have claimed and said exactly that.

Lol, a respected veteran deserves to call his own shots. Getting personally offended by that is ridiculous

You're entitled to your opinion, but I was on twitter the day it happened and there were plenty of people echoing my feelings about it.
Any GM who'd claimed him and hoped Spezza would come play for them wouldn't be doing anything evil, because that's how waivers work.
Announcing you won't play for anyone else even though your GM has just OFFERED YOU UP to other teams is very much meddling. No different that talking to other teams while still under contract, or announcing you won't play for the team that has you under contract thereyby forcing them to trade you from a position of weakness.
If Spezza had felt that strongly about never wanting to play for another team he should've held out for a NMC. Plain and simple.
So yeah, as hockey fan, I lost respect for him. Many did.